Contact Us

How Hunting Helps the Economy

Posted June 14, 2016bypluck-a-duck

Hunting helps the American economy. Even though it may not seem like big business, hunting supports more than 680,000 jobs and has an annual impact of some $38 billion on the economy. Think about it: hunting involves sales of tags and licenses. It gets people outdoors, helps with wildlife improvement efforts, requires all sorts of gear, and even helps motels and hotels and tent suppliers stay in business.

Did you know that some 16 million Americans will hunt this year? The total number of active hunters keeps increasing as the years go by, and there are even efforts being made such as pink-colored safety gear to get more young girls involved in the hobby/sport. While hunting has been associated with men for generations, these days it’s more “evened-out” with both men and women hunters participating in the process.

Male or female, young or old, rural or urban, one thing’s for sure: hunting is hot and getting hotter. As more and more people discover the joy of hunting, that means the government collects more state and federal taxes on purchases like ammunition, guns, and licenses. Meanwhile hunting trips get people shopping for food, drinks, and meals and booking places to stay overnight. As a recreational industry, hunting is booming. Hunting gives people purpose “on the land.” Sure, you could rent a cabin and read a book and sleep most of the day away, but the thrill of the hunt makes spending time outdoors in the wilderness much more fun.

Monies raised from hunters is used to improve nature trails, campsites, parks and public land. Jobs related to hunting put food on the table for lots of families, to the tune of $26 billion in salaries and wages each year.

Oftentimes, most hunters don’t realize how many other fellow hunters are out there, just like them, both near and far away. That said, there are millions of hunters contributing billions of dollars to the American economy, and that’s a great thing.